Back To Life
by spikessweetgirl
Summary: Desmond saved Charlie from the looking glass.  What happens afterwards, especially after the survivors are rescued?  Spoilers for Through The Looking Glass.  The story goes AU from there.
1. Chapter 1

Back To Life: A Charlie Lives PB&J fic

1

It hadn't been an easy time down in the hatch. Charlie had almost drowned after unarming the signal and somehow getting in touch with his Penny. That bloody eye patch man…Mikhail had detonated the grenade and in a bid to save Desmond, Charlie had closed the door and locked himself in. Desmond could do nothing but watch as Charlie delivered one last message to him: Not Penny's Boat. Touched by the young man's bravery, Desmond had pressed a hand to the window, right where Charlie's own hand was and watched as Charlie's lungs gave out and he was pushed back into the room, where he appeared to have drowned.

Desmond had fought angry tears then. Angry, frustrated tears. Why? Why was he having these visions and why were they all about Charlie? What had Charlie done that was so terrible that the universe wanted to kill him? Why couldn't it just let the young man be? Why was it so determined to win? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. Too many bad men in this world lived long, healthy, evil lives…but Charlie…Charlie was young. He was good. He had a family that depended on him. He didn't deserve this…neither did the young mother and her child that loved him. No. No fate wasn't going to win this one. He wasn't going to let it…

Quickly slipping on the scuba gear, Desmond dived back into the moon pool. He didn't know if the plan that had formed in his head would work, but he had to try. He couldn't give up on Charlie just yet. Even if it meant no rescue…even if it meant the return of the bloody visions. He couldn't let Charlie die. Not without a fight. Fate wasn't going to win this one. He wouldn't let it.

Thankful for the scuba gear, Desmond swam down and out of the looking glass and back up to the broken port hole. He looked around, but there was no sign of that one eyed bastard that had detonated the bloody grenade. Reaching through the porthole, he got hold of Charlie and somehow pulled him out. Gripping the unconscious body in his arms, Desmond began to swim, up and up, ignoring his own aching muscles. He had only one goal. Get Charlie to the surface and somehow revive him. He hoped to whatever God was available that he remembered the CPR training he had taken. He hoped that it would be enough. The young mother would be all on her own if anything was to happen to the brave young man in his arms. She would have no one to look after her…at least not in the way Charlie Pace would.

Desmond burst through to the surface, frantically looking for the boat. There was no time to waste if he was to get Charlie back to Claire. Dragging the unconscious man into the boat, Desmond began his efforts to save Charlie's life. He had learned CPR a while back and could only hope that he remembered everything. Tilting Charlie's head back, Desmond went through the motions of pumping below the ribcage and breathing into Charlie's mouth until water erupted from Charlie's lungs and the young musician began coughing. Relief filled Desmond as he tilted Charlie onto his side and let the water spill out of his mouth, clearing his airways. Happy, Desmond laughed, but the laughter faded as he realized that even though Charlie was now breathing, that his eyes had yet to open.

"Charlie? Wake up, brotha. You're alive. Open your eyes. It's time to go back to Claire and Aaron…"

Desmond sat and waited for a response…something other than the rise and fall of Charlie's chest, but none came. Fuck! It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to have revived Charlie and Charlie was supposed to wake up and be gratified that he was still alive. He wasn't supposed to be like this…in some kind of coma…which is what it looked like to Desmond. Bloody hell, what was he going to do now? Of course, there was only one thing to do. The doctor. He had to get Charlie back to Jack, and not only that. He had to give Jack Charlie's final message. Not Penny's boat. Wiping water out of his eyes, and making sure that Charlie was as comfortable as he possibly could be, Desmond started to paddle for the shore, feeling as if he was one of the officer's fresh off the Titanic, rowing to the Carpathia with a single, frozen, survivor.

The tower group had just returned to the beach, talking and patting each other on the back, excited over the prospect of being rescued at last and getting off the island. Getting back to the lives that they once had. Everyone that is, except Claire. She was much too anxious to pay much attention to the excited chatter of her fellow survivors. All she could think about was Charlie. She had radioed Hurley one last time, just to see if there was any sign of him. Unfortunately Hurley's answer was a negative, and he sounded more than worried, which had only upset her even more.

She stood back and watched as Sun and Rose ran into their husbands' arms, kissing them long and hard, happy to be together again. She couldn't help the jealousy the sight brought on. That should be her and Charlie. Charlie should have been with Jin and Bernard, probably playing on his guitar or reciting another adventure when he was on tour with his band. He should be getting to his feet, an excited smiled on his face as she and Aaron came into sight. It should have been his arms that she flew into with a hello kiss that said so much more than hello…a kiss that promised love and forever…

But she had none of that. Charlie wasn't here. He was off with Desmond. The task of turning off Ben's signal was over, and both men were still missing in action. She couldn't help but fear the worse.

Cradling Aaron in her arms, she went to lay him down in his bed when she spotted the ring, sitting in a field of white, begging to be noticed. Picking it up, she just stared, her mind blank. She couldn't think…she didn't want to think. To think would be to know why the ring was in Aaron's crib and not on Charlie's finger and she didn't want to know that. She never wanted to know. She lived in the land of denial and she was very happy there.

"Claire?" Hurley asked, coming up behind her. He didn't want to disturb the young mother, but didn't really have a choice. People were now packing up, getting ready to leave. From the looks of it, Claire had made no move to get her things together. "Need a hand taking down the tent?"

"What?" She looked at him as if he was a stranger.

"The tent. Do you need help taking it down? Naomi's boat will be here soon and…we have to go. It's what he'd want, you know…"

"How do you know what he'd want? And stop that…stop talking like he's dead or never coming back," Claire reprimanded, getting up to put Aaron in his bed at last. "Charlie's coming back…"

Hurley sighed, his own grief swirling inside him. "Claire…I don't want to believe that he's dead either…but…"

"Well then don't. Don't give up on Charlie, Hurley. He's coming back to us. Just wait and see."

"I hope you're right, Claire," Hurley sighed, picking up Charlie's broken guitar. "I hope you're right for all of our sakes. At least let's give him a hand and get his things ready. Don't want the guy to have to rush and leave everything behind just when we're finally getting rescued."

Claire just forced a smile and watched as Hurley stuffed the guitar back into it's case. She looked at the ring again and wondered where Charlie was now. Was he hurt? Was he warm? Was Desmond still with him? Why did he have to go on that mission? Why couldn't someone else have done it? Why did it have to be Charlie? She needed him…Aaron needed him. He was all they had on this island.

"Jack! Where's Jack!" A familiar Scottish brogue cried out, causing Claire to rush to her feet and out of her tent. Desmond! Desmond was back and sounding panicked. Like there was some great emergency. The only emergency she could think of could be…oh god, no. Please, not Charlie…let him be alright…let him be alive…

Claire pushed through the crowd, trying to get to the front so she could see. A horrible sense of foreboding was building in her chest. When she had heard that they were going to be rescued, she had thought that maybe, just maybe all of their troubles would be over. They'd be going home. But now…she had this terrible sense that it was only just beginning.

She finally gasped when she saw Desmond, carrying Charlie's slender frame over his shoulder, his face full of urgency. "Charlie!" She cried out, running up to the hurried Scot. "Oh my god, what happened?"

"Jack? Where's Jack? I need the doctor right now!" Desmond ignored her question, his eyes frantically searching for the one person that could help Charlie now.

"Jack!" Hurley yelled, pushing a pathway through the crowd and beckoning for Desmond to follow. "Jack! Help!"

Jack came out of the tent he used for an office, alarmed at the urgent calls he was receiving. "What? What is it? If someone's sick, write their name down so we can tell the doctor on the boat…"

"It's Charlie, Jack!" Claire interrupted, knowing that Jack most likely wouldn't listen to Desmond as quickly as he would her. After all, Desmond was still somewhat a stranger to Jack, even though for her and Charlie, it seemed like they had known him forever.

"Charlie?" Jack frowned. "Isn't he back from the underwater station yet?"

"He drowned, brotha," Desmond explained, depositing Charlie gently on Jack's cot. "He was nearly murdered by the man with an eye patch. I got him out of the flooded chamber, got him back to the boat, got him breathing again, but the lad has yet to wake."

Claire bit her lip and twisted the ring she had found around her finger, nervously. What did that mean? Charlie was dead? Then Desmond brought him back, but Charlie hasn't opened his eyes? She was so confused. The confusion grew as she noticed something written on Charlie's right hand. Frowning, she picked the hand up and read. "Not Penny's boat…what does that mean? Not Penny's boat?"

Desmond looked beyond wretched as he looked from Claire, to Jack, back to Claire, then back to Jack. He was probably trying to come up with a suitable explanation. "He had gotten in contact with someone I was close to in the real world….my fiancée…Penny. I'm sorry brotha, but according to Charlie, that's not Penny's boat out there. I don't know who it is, or who that Naomi is or how she knew me…but…that's not my Penny's boat out there."

Jack's face seemed to have gone ten shades of pale. "W-what do you mean by not Penny's boat? That whoever is on their way here now…"

"I don't know who they are, brotha. I haven't a clue. It can be the original Dharma people for all I know."

"Fuck!" Jack cursed, sending a fist down on a nearby table. "Great. Just great. We sent Charlie down to switch off a single, just for him to end up in a fucking coma and now we have people, who we don't even know coming. Thought they were rescue, now we don't even know. This just keeps getting better."

Claire frowned and looked down at Charlie, keeping his hand in hers. The frown deepened when she noticed the cuts and bruises on his face. "Desmond…what happened down there? Where did all these bruises and cuts come from? You were supposed to be protecting him…" Her anger and confusion was building by the minute. The last time she had seen Charlie, his skin had been…not particularly flawless, but all these cuts and bruises had not been there. He had not been in some mysterious coma. He had been fine. She looked at Desmond, a sneaking suspicion rising up in her. "Have you been having anymore visions lately? Like one of Charlie swimming down to that hatch?"

"Visions?" Jack asked, now more than suspicious of the Scot. Ever since his return, Desmond and Charlie had stuck together like glue. Where one was, the other would follow. Jack had been bothered by this. When he had left, the two men were hardly on speaking terms and now they were best buddies. True, at first he was jealous. After all, Charlie had been his first close friend. After all, you don't get stuck in a cave-in together and come out acquaintances. He had believed in Charlie when the whole baby thing took place and that maniac Locke had punched the tiny brit. To find that he had been replaced so quickly…it wasn't something he was happy about, but he had come to live with it. His and Charlie's friendship just wasn't the same and now Desmond was the one he was close to. Now, he was hearing of visions and Charlie had something to do with it…"What in the hell is going on here, Desmond. Tell me the truth and don't give me that we don't trust you brotha crap. That may have worked on Charlie and the others, concerning Naomi, but it won't work on me."

Desmond looked as if he would like nothing more than to avoid rehashing the whole vision ordeal, but he had no choice. Jack and Claire both deserved to know the truth and who knows. Maybe this would help Jack help Charlie somehow…before whoever was on that boat arrived.

"It all started after the explosion of the hatch. I started having these visions of the future…all of them concerning Charlie. In each and every one…Charlie would die. The first time was lightening striking Claire's tent and electrocuting the lad. I managed to avoid disaster by building a lightening pole…then there was the vision of Charlie jumping in the ocean and drowning in an attempt to save Claire. I jumped in so he didn't have to. Again, stopping disaster. There were other times…each one I stopped and saved the boy's life. Then…the last one I had…was of the looking glass. Charlie drowned turning off Ben's signal…"

"And he went through with it?" Claire interrupted, confused. Ever since she had found out about the visions, Charlie and Desmond had been trying to avoid them from happening. Why would he do this anyway, knowing that Desmond saw his death? It didn't make sense to her. "Why?"

Desmond sighed and looked away from the girl. She wasn't going to like this, but what choice did he have? The doctor wouldn't allow him not to tell her. "It was because after I saw him drown…I saw you and Aaron get on a helicopter to leave the island. Charlie went to his death in order to save you. To save all of you. He was a hero…"

Claire blinked back tears, not knowing how to react to this recent development. She thought back to Charlie telling her not to worry about him…the kiss that had obviously been goodbye…he had known. All this time he had known that he would most likely die down there in that hatch and he had gone anyway. To save her and her baby… "That doesn't explain all of these bruises and cuts…"

Desmond took another deep breath. "I offered to go in Charlie's place. After all, he's a young man with a girl and child on this island. I had no one…but he wouldn't hear of it. He knocked me out and made the dive anyway. When I woke up…that man…Mikhail…he was on the beach shooting at me…forcing me to dive to the hatch as well. When I surfaced into the moon pool…Charlie was tied up and being tortured by two women. The hatch wasn't flooded and it wasn't abandoned. Charlie had me hide. I watched helplessly as those women questioned and beat him. He told them how Ben was lying to the others. How he was jamming the signal so no one could leave the island. They of course didn't believe him. They were going for their hook gun when he arrived."

Desmond grimaced at the thought of Mikhail…how the man had heartlessly attempted to murder Charlie. The look of evil glee as he detonated the grenade. He couldn't even say how the bastard survived and he was more than confident that the monster was still out there, laying in wait. He didn't know who that boat belonged to, but he prayed that it was indeed rescue. They all needed to get off this island as soon as possible.

"What happened next," Jack crossed his arms, growing impatient.

"Mikhail showed up and on Ben's orders….shot the two women. I shot him with the hookgun…thought I had killed him and I was going to kill her…but Charlie stopped me. We needed her alive for the code. Charlie convinced her to give us the code. She was too weak to give us the numbers, so she said the code was set to this song…that it had been programmed by a musician…"

"Which is why he was the only one who could disarm the signal," Claire whispered, her eyes widening in disbelief. It really did seem like the mission had been especially made for Charlie.

Desmond just nodded. "I had gone to get scuba gear when I heard Charlie calling me. It turned out he had not only disarmed the signal…but had gotten in touch with my Penny as well. I went running as fast as I could, just for Charlie to suddenly shut the door on me and lock me out. I didn't know why until I looked through that porthole and saw Mikhail….holding a grenade….I watched as that bastard detonated the grenade and made all that water start filling the room…with Charlie locked inside. I tried to get in…I banged on that door…tried to smash the outer window in with my air tank…but…nothing worked. The water quickly filled that room and Charlie was submerged, but not before writing that message on his hand. I watched him drown...and decided I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let fate win. Charlie was too good to die. He was a hero and heroes deserved happy endings. So I swam through the moon pool, over to the side and got his body out through the open porthole. I then got him up to the surface and got him breathing again…but he never woke up. I'm sorry Claire….Jack. I tried…I don't know what else I can do but pray for the lad…"

Claire looked away, her heart breaking. Charlie had sacrificed it all to save her and Aaron. He had faced torture and a madman willing to kill him on another madman's orders…yet he had gone through it anyway, without a moment's thought. Not only had he saved her…but Desmond too and was in the right mind enough to give that one last message about the boat.

"My poor Charlie…," Claire sighed, pushing some of Charlie's hair out of his face.

Jack didn't have time to agree. He was too busy punching Desmond in the jaw, making the man fall backwards onto the ground. "You son of a bitch! You caused Charlie to risk his life for a boat that may not even mean rescue!"

"He did it for the girl, brotha. For his family…"

"I don't care why he did it! What matters is that he did it because of what you said! What you made him believe!" Jack yelled his face red with rage.

"Jack…" Claire tried to intervene as people began to gather around the tent to watch.

"I ought to kick you out of the camp Desmond! I ought to! But Charlie wouldn't want that. So I tell you what. You stay away from him and stay away from anyone else you have visions about! We have too many things to worry about than who will be next to fall victim to this damn place!"

Claire blinked, thinking that Jack was too harsh, but then again, the man had sent Charlie to what could be his death. She looked away from the scene, and just concentrated on Charlie's peaceful face. He looked like he was only sleeping. Not in some mysterious coma.

"Dude, don't you think that was a little harsh," Hurley asked.

"Not now Hurley. Help Claire get Charlie to her tent. I'll be over there in a second. Then tell Sayid to come see me. We have to prepare for that boat."

Claire got up to help Hurley lift Charlie when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to face Desmond. What did he want? She gasped when he held out a folded piece of notebook paper out to her. "What's that?"

"This was Charlie's. He wanted me to give it to you. His greatest hits. Memories," Desmond explained, before turning around to walk down to the beach, probably to help keep an eye out for the rescue boat. She looked after him with a mixture of sadness and relief. She felt sorry for him. Charlie had been his only friend here. Now he was forbidden to even see Charlie and if Charlie died…no. No she wouldn't think about that and she would hope that Desmond had no more visions. Not about Charlie anyway.

"Come on, Claire. Let's get Charlie to your tent and comfortable," Hurley said, lifting Charlie's legs. Smiling, she got Charlie's feet and awkwardly moved towards her tent. She didn't know what the future held for them. She just hoped that Charlie was in that future and that they would be safe and happy at last.


	2. Chapter 2

2

It's been two days and Charlie still had yet to wake up. All that time, Claire never left his side. She had basically let Sun take over care for Aaron, while she tended to Charlie. Now, sitting by his side, reading his list for what seemed to be the thousandth time, she was more than ready for him to wake up, yet she had no clue on how to make that happen. Her heart stopped again as she read the memory he listed as number one. _**The night I met you. **_ She looked at Charlie, wiping away stray tears.

Gently she took his hand and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "That was my best memory, too Charlie. Meeting you. I was so scared that night. Pregnant and alone on a deserted island…and you came and made me feel better…safer. That night I knew that I'd be ok…as long as there were people like you around. I never did thank you for that. I never did thank you for a lot of things. You were my knight in shining armor and I never told you how much I appreciated you and all you've done for me and Aaron."

Claire stopped, her emotions building up, threatening to spill over. "You were so brave to do what you did for us Charlie…for laying down your life. I can't tell you how much that you loved us so much to do that means. But please…there was no need for you to die for us. Don't you know that we rather have you and be stuck on this island, than be rescued and not have you? Please Charlie. Come back. Aaron misses you…and so do I. I…I love you. I have from the moment you made it clear that you weren't scared of me and my predicament. I know that I messed up in the past. When I should have been more understanding and trying to help, I pushed you away. I'm sorry for that. And I did listen to you in the end. I had gotten Aaron baptized…please. Wake up. I need you…I can't bear losing another person I love…" hot tears fell from her eyes as Charlie remained still, his chest rising and falling with every breath, the only thing telling her that he wasn't dead yet.

"No sign of life yet?" Hurley came up, his eyes full of his own grief. Claire felt just as bad for him as she did for herself. He was having a horribly bad time lately. First Libby's death and now…his best friend could very well die and there was nothing they could do but stand by and beg Charlie to come back to them.

"None. Why won't he wake up, Hurley? I don't get it? He's alive. Desmond brought him back…right? I mean…he's breathing…his heart is beating…why won't he wake up?"

Hurley shrugged, looking away from the tearful Claire and down at his friend. He winced at all the healing bruises and cuts. "They really roughed him up, huh?"

"Yeah. They did. I've noticed that you've been talking to Desmond…" Claire didn't know if she should even bring up the subject of Desmond to Hurley. The man seemed so lonely down there on the beach as he kept an eye out for the boat that didn't have his Penny on board. She had thought that he would have tried to visit Charlie, but he never did, heeding Jack's demands. Jack…who checked on Charlie once a day and didn't look very hopeful. Sometimes she was so angry with the doctor, she wanted to yell at him to fix Charlie, but she knew that would be unfair. At this point, the only person who could fix Charlie, was Charlie.

"Hey, it wasn't the dude's fault, alright?" Hurley answer was a bit defensive, his eyes never leaving Charlie's still frame. "Charlie had a choice. He didn't have to go. He wanted to. He wanted to save you and Aaron, because he loved you. And he cared about the rest of us too. So don't blame Desmond. Blame all of us. And in the end…Desmond still tried to save him. "

"I wasn't blaming Desmond…alright. Maybe at first I did…but…what good is blame going to do? Charlie is still in this coma. Blaming each other is not going to make him wake up. I just…I just wanted to know if Desmond had anymore visions…"

"If he had, he didn't tell me," Hurley shrugged. "Listen…Claire…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rant like that. It's just…I've been with Desmond for the past few days and he's sorry. He never meant for anyone to get hurt and he did try to protect Charlie the best way he knew how. Jack should let up on him."

"I have no sway with Jack, Hurley. You're going to have to talk to him yourself."

"Of course you have sway with Jack. You have sway with everyone, Claire. Please, at least talk to him. I've tried and got shot down every time. Jack will listen to you."

Claire sighed. She really didn't want to get in the middle of the feud between Jack and Desmond. She could understand Jack's side all too well. He was just trying to protect Charlie, one of his own. Desmond was a virtual stranger to him and as far as he could see, what happened to Charlie was all Desmond's fault. But she could also put herself in Desmond's shoes. Those visions must have been frightening and heart wrenching. If it had been her, there would have been no way that she would have been able to stand by and let it happen. Desmond was Charlie's hero…at least that's what she had gotten from the amount of time the two men had spent together. Then this last vision…Desmond must not have wanted to tell Charlie…but it would have been unfair to everyone else not to…and it had been Charlie's choice. Every step taken to the completion of that mission had been Charlie's intended purpose. He had wanted to die for her.

She closed her eyes at that thought. It was too much. She couldn't fathom why he would do such a thing for her and Aaron. After how she had treated him…always pushing him away when he got too close…hiding her true feelings, not giving much of anything in return because she was too stupid and too afraid…and he goes and does something like this. She knew that no one…no one would ever love her like this. Only Charlie and she had neglected him horribly and now it may be too late to make up for the time she had wasted.

"So will you do it?" Hurley interrupted her thoughts, shifting from one foot to the other in his impatience.

Claire sighed. She really didn't want to get involved, but it would be nice if Charlie woke up to a peaceful camp, with everyone getting along. Not to a feud between two of his closest friends. "Ok. Fine. I'll do it. Where is Jack now?"

"His tent," Hurley grabbed her hand, dragging her away from Charlie, who still had yet to move a muscle. She looked back at him, longing to be back at his side, just in case he should wake up while she was away.

The talk with Jack had gone well. He didn't yell at her, he didn't find reasons why she was delusional to think that Desmond was harmless. He just stood there and listened to what she had to say and agreed to give Desmond…a third chance. Then again, maybe he was just humoring her. Humor the girl with the almost dead boyfriend, why not?

Sighing, she headed back to her tent; eager to get back to her vigil at Charlie's side, hoping that he hadn't woke up yet. She feared having him wake up and no one be at his side. It would be the worse way for him to return to the world. She took a deep breath, taking note that everyone around her was busy packing their belongings for the supposed rescue that they didn't notice anything else. She sighed, remembering that she still had to pack her and Charlie's things. They needed to be ready to leave when the helicopters or boats arrived.

She was just at her tent when her heart jumped into her throat. Hovering above Charlie was a strange man…a man with an eye patch and he was holding something over Charlie's nose and mouth, while Charlie, who still had his eyes closed struggled for breath.

"Jack! Someone! Help!" Claire screamed, running into the tent to pound on the man's back, trying to distract him, to get him to leave Charlie alone. "Get away from him! Leave him alone! Someone help!"

The man's only response to Claire's assault was to throw his free arm back, sending her crashing back against Aaron's crib. Claire looked around for a weapon, while she continued to scream for help. She finally spotted Charlie's guitar case with his guitar in it. It was broken anyway, and she really had no qualms about using it, but before she could even pick it up, the eye patch man was roughly thrown off Charlie and down into the ground, receiving a kick in his midriff.

Claire was relieved to see Desmond, standing between Charlie and the man that had been trying to kill him. Keeping her eyes on the man, she went to check on her patient and was relieved to find him still breathing, even though he still had yet to wake up.

"You," Desmond growled as the men from the camp finally began to gather around. "I should have known that you weren't dead, you son of a bitch!"

"I have my orders," Mikhail got to his feet, brushing his pants off. "Ben told me to kill Charlie Pace, and that's what I mean to do."

"Like hell you will, brotha. You are going nowhere near the lad."

"And who's going to stop me? The girl? You? You couldn't even protect him from me in the looking glass. What makes you think that you can protect him now?"

"I'll stop you," Sayid stepped forward; a gun held tightly in his hand, aimed at the back of Mikhail's head. "Remember me? You should have stayed dead."

"And you will be. That is if you get in the way of my duty. I follow Ben and he gave me orders that I intend to follow through," Mikhail glared at Sayid, then turned to Desmond. "I will follow through with my orders. Next time, I'll also kill anyone that gets in my way. Especially you. And the girl."

With that said, Mikhail took off at a run, back into the jungle, leaving everyone staring at him in shock. Sayid and Desmond made the crowd disperse before checking on Claire and Charlie. Claire just knelt by Charlie, holding his hand tightly against her cheek as she sobbed, her body tense with fear.

"Claire? Are you alright?" Sayid asked, already knowing the answer. No she wasn't alright. How could she be after that?

Just as he thought, the girl shook her head. "No I'm not. I won't be alright until we're off this god forsaken island! I won't be alright until Charlie's awake or the ship to take us away is here! I have to get him home! Where it's safe and there's no crazy eye patch men trying to kill him! I have to get Charlie back to the real world…as soon as possible…"

"And he will be," Desmond gently touched her shoulder, kneeling down next to his comatose friend. "I swear to you Claire. I will protect him with my life."

"As will I," Sayid nodded, his heart going out to the young blond. She was going through things no one should have to go through, and the arrival of Mikhail had just made it worse.

Claire wanted to believe them, but she simply couldn't. Too many things were set against them. The boat might not be rescue. Mikhail seemed impossible to kill and he had set his sights on killing Charlie. Charlie hadn't woken up yet. She didn't know how much more of this she could handle.

"Sista…why don't I move up here with you and Charlie. Make sure that bastard doesn't come back?" Desmond suggested, taking Claire off guard.

"You don't have to…"

"I want to. I didn't whisk him out of that flooded room, just to have that bastard have his way without a fight," Desmond smiled, placing a supportive hand on Claire's shoulder, wanting to give her as much friendship and support as possible. It hadn't got past him the way people were giving her tent a wide berth now. How they didn't know what to say to the girl with the possibly dying boyfriend.

Claire just smiled and nodded. She couldn't say no. Not after finding that animal trying to take Charlie away from her again. She shivered, thinking about what if she hadn't arrived when she had. What if…no. No she won't think about the what if's. The what if's didn't happen. She had arrived back at the tent in time. She did cry out for help and now she had both Sayid and Desmond keeping an eye on both herself and Charlie.

Charlie. She looked down at his handsome, but scarred face and tears rose in her eyes. Why wouldn't he wake up? Why wouldn't he come back to her? How can she tell him her true feelings if he wasn't awake to hear them? This was her mother all over again.

"I love you, Charlie. I'm sorry I never told you when you were well, but I do. Please wake up. Please come back to me."

"He will sista. He will. You'll see. Charlie will come back to you. He just needs time to find the way back," Desmond sat next to her, his own eyes thoughtful.

"Time is what we don't have. Desmond…if the people on the boats aren't rescue…who do you think they are?"

Desmond just shook his head. He had his own suspicions. Naomi had known who he was. She had an expensive piece of equipment. There was only one answer to who she could have been. Oh no, it wasn't his Penny on that boat…but the answer was undeniable. Charles Widmore. Probably come to find him before his daughter did…and if that was the case...there was no telling what he really wanted of him or the survivors of flight 815.

That night was silent and somewhat peaceful. Claire was as always by Charlie's side, but this time feeding Aaron. She looked over at Desmond who stared out at the camp, where everyone was gathered around the fire, nervously talking amongst themselves. The arrival of Mikhail and spooked them all and the impatience for the rescue ship was growing. They wanted to go home. So did Claire. She hated this feeling of constant danger and she hated that it seemed to surround Charlie at the moment.

"Desmond…just because it's not Penny's boat…that doesn't mean that bad people are on board…right?" Claire asked, her blue eyes dimmed with doubt.

Desmond looked away. He didn't want to lie to the girl, but he didn't want to tell her the truth either. He didn't want to tell her that the people on that boat probably worked for Charles Widmore, and he knew for a fact there was nothing good or selfless about that man. "I don't know sista. I just know that somehow, Naomi knew who I was…and I never saw her before in my life…and the boat is not Penny's…"

Claire sighed and kept hold of Aaron as she fought back tears. Never, not even when she was being threatened by Ethan, had she been so frightened. Usually, Charlie would be calming her, promising to protect her, but now Charlie wasn't able to do that for her and he needed protection himself. What were they going to do? What was going to become of them all?

"I want to leave this place. I want to take Aaron and Charlie and for once be somewhere that we don't have to worry about others trying to kill us or monsters in the jungle, or strange people on boats that we know nothing about."

"And you will. I promise. Both you and Charlie. You will leave this island," Desmond touched her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. His heart went out to Claire. She was a young mother, wanting to save her family, yet having no way to do so. The only hope she had was something that could bring even more danger.

"Claire," Sayid entered the shelter, his brown eyes warm, yet urgent. "Jack has sent me. He wanted me to give you this…" Sayid held out the gun, black and cold. Claire couldn't help but to recoil. What was this? Didn't Sayid see that she had Aaron? That she couldn't have that around her baby?

"What is this about brotha?" Desmond asked, getting to his feet, drawing Sayid's attention away from Claire.

"I told Jack about Mikhail and his attempt on Charlie's life and the threats he made. He wanted me to give Claire this gun for protection."

"But Sayid…I…I don't know how to shoot a gun…"

"Well I suggest that you learn before Mikhail comes back. It may be the only thing that will save Charlie and yourself," Sayid simply replied, before sitting the gun down and leaving the tent.

"Nice man that one," Desmond snorted, watching Sayid cross the camp to where the graveyard sit.

"He just wants to get us all off this island…alive," Claire sighed, putting Aaron back down for his nap, now that his feeding was done.

"And we will get off this island alive. ALL of us."

Claire just smiled, trying to believe in Desmond's words, but right now everything was so unknown. Who were the people on the boat if not Desmond's friend? What will they do to them? What will become of all of them? Sighing, she stretched out beside Charlie, taking what comfort she can from the warmth from his still body. Even now, he was of great comfort to her. Closing her eyes, she fell into a restless sleep, unaware of the world around her.


End file.
